Coupler positioning device



July 14, 970 G. w. COPE 3,520,420

COUPLER POSITIONING DEVICE Filed Sept. 6, 1967 .3 Sheets-Sheet 1 his AHorney G. W. COPE COUPLER POSITIONING DEVICE July 14, 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet :l

In v e n t o r yW. Cope Geofffe his Attorney Filed Sept. 6, 1967 .Fuly 14, 1970 G. w. COPE COUPLER POSITIONING DEVICE Filed Sept. 6, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 aunaaama.

Geoffrey W. Cop e his Attorney United States Patent O 3,520,420 COUPLER POSITIONING DEVICE Geoffrey W. Cope, Williamsville, N.Y., assignor to Dresser Industries, Inc., Dallas, Tex., a corporation Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 618,207,

Feb. 23, 1967. This application Sept. 6, 1967, Ser.

Int. Cl. B61g 7/12, 9/24 U.S. Cl. 213--15 18 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A master and slave hydraulic system for transmitting horizontal angling of an adjoining truck to an uncoupled railway car coupler for centering the head of the coupler for coupling on underlying track with a manual override for disengaging the coupler from the system for positioning for coupling under extreme track conditions.

This application is a continuation-impart of my copending application Ser. No. 618,207, tiled Feb. 23, 1967 and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE lINVENTION A centering device for a railway car coupler which centers an -uncoupled coupler on the car on which it is mounted, is effective for positioning the coupler for coupling on straight track but the gathering range of couplers at best is too narrow to avoid passing of co-uplers so centered under most other track conditions. In the centering device of my copending application Ser. No. 519,309, filed Jan. 6, 1966, angular movement of an adjoining truck relative to the car 'body as it follows the track profile or contour, is employed hydraulically for automatically centering the head of an uncoupled co-upler within its gathering range on the underlying track. This usually suffices for coupling on both straight and curved track and relief springing allows the coupler when coupled to angle with the mated coupler under all track conditions. However, when attempting to perform a coupling operating under extreme track conditions, such as at the midpoint of a reverse curve or the junction of a full curve and tangent track, the profiles of the track beneath the truck and the head of the coupler depart too greatly for automatic centering to be effective.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is an improvement on the automatic hydraulic coupler centering device of the above application, which permits coupling under even extreme track conditions by making the hydraulic system then overridable for enabling the coupler to be swung independently to coupling position. In its preferred form, the override is manually operable, frees the coupler for manual positioning without restrain by the automatic system and also enables service movements of the car automatically to restore the device to automatic centering condition.

Objects of the invention therefore are to provide an automatic hydraulic coupler positioning device responsive to truck angling including a preferably manual override for enabling an uncoupled coupler to be positioned for coupling under extreme track conditions, free the coupler of lrestraint by the automatic system on operation of the manual override, and enable the device automatically to be restored to automatic condition by service movements of a car.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereafter in the detailed description, be par- 3,520,420 Patented July 14, 1970 ticularly pointed out in the appended claims and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the improved coupler positioning device of the present invention applied to a typical subway car with parts of the car broken away to more clearly illustrate certain of the details of construction;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the device on an enlarged scale taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are fragmentary sectional views taken respectively along lines 4-4, 5--5 and 6-6 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along lines 77 of FIG. 2 with a side link and override spring shown in central section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts, the improved coupler positioning device of the present invention is usable for positioning any railway car coupler for coupling, so long as the coupler is at least horizontally swingable relative to the car on which it is mounted.

In the illustrated exemplary use the improved centering device, designated as 1, has been applied to a hook type su'bway coupler 2, such as shown in Cope Pat. No. 3,181,708, issued on May 4, 1965. As usual in subway couplers, the coupler 2 is actually a coupler assembly formed of a coupler proper or coupler part 3 and a drawbar 4, with the coupler 3 mounted for vertical swinging or pivoting on the front end of the drawbar and the latter conventionally mounted for horizontal swinging on and suspended from the underframe 5 of the car body (not shown).

In its components involved in automatically centering the head `6 of the coupler 3 within its gathering range on underlying track, the improved positioning device 1 is basically the same as that of my copending application Ser. No. 519,309. Thus, the improved device includes a master and slave hydraulic system 7 having either single or double acting master and slave cylinder units 8 and 9, respectively, a pair of each if single and one of each if double. In either case, as explained at length in my copending application, a master unit 8, connected at opposite ends to an adjoining truck 10 and the underframe 5, is compressed or telesco-ped by horizontal angling or angular movement of the truck in one direction relative to the car body and correspondingly expands or elongates a slave unit 9 to which it is liquid connected. The slave unit in turn applies its expansion mechanically to the coupler 2. The consequent horizontal angling of the coupler 2 is at a fixed ratio determined by the capacities of the units 8 and 9 and their dispositions relative to the truck pivot 11 and horizontal coupler pivot 12 and that ratio is predetermined to center the head 6 of the coupler within its gathering range on the underlying track when the latter and the track beneath the truck 10 are of similar prole or curvature.

Acting in the above manner, the master and slave units 8 and 9 of the illustrated embodiment are single acting and therefore in pairs, with the units of each pair on opposite sides of the car bodys longitudinal centerline. Required to be connected to the truck 10 at points laterally offset from the truck pivot 10 and to have their connections to the underframe 5 offset forwardly or rearwardly of that pivot, the illustrated master units 7 have their piston rods 13 pivotally connected to the side frame 14 of the truck and conveniently are oblique to the bodys centerline for pivotal connection of their cylinders to a common anchorv bracket 16 fixed to and centered laterally on the underframe rearward of the truck pivot. On their part, the illustrated slave units 9 are disposed laterally of the car body and positioned forwardly of the couplers horizontal pivot 12, with their cylinders 17 pivotally connected to the opposite side sills 18 of the underframe 5. The piston rods 19 of the slave units are connected to each other by a rigid main or center link or centering bar 20 and telescopable or contractable vside links 21 at opposite ends of the main link and each normally partly extended by a preferably precompressed override spring 22.

Extending laterally of the car body across and laterally overlapping the drawbar 4 of the coupler 2 forwardly of the coupler pivot 12, the main link 20 is normally centered laterally on and shiftable laterally of the car body. Connected to the coupler 2, the main link is so shifted against the resistance of one or the other of the override springs 22, when the coupler is coupled, by a force initiated at the coupler under track conditions compelling the coupler to swing horizontally or laterally out of the position called for by the hydraulic system 7 in response to angling of the truck 10. However, under the lesser force required for centering an uncoupled coupler, the springs 22 are predetermined in their stiffness not to yield or be compressible. Thus, when acting to center an uncoupled coupler, the rods 19 of the slave units 9 are in effect rigidly connected for movement in unison by the links 20 and 21.

As the anchoring of the master units 8 rearward of the truck pivot 11 otherwise would produce a reverse angling of the coupler, each master unit is paired with and cross-connected to the slave unit 9 at the opposite side of the bodys longitudinal centerline. These fluid or, more precisely, liquid or hydraulic connections between the companion or paired master and slave units suitably are made by rigid and flexible piping 23 attached to the underframe 5. Fillable through a fill port 24, the hydraulic piping line or circuit 23 between each master unit and the companion slave unit should have connected to it an accumulator or pressure reservoir 25 to supply liquid as necessary to maintain the piping filled at all times.

The connection between the laterally shiftable main link 20 responsive to angling of the truck 10 and the horizontally swingable coupler 2, in effect is direct when the coupler is coupled and also normally when the coupler is uncoupled. However, to permit the coupler head 6 to be positioned for coupling under extreme or abnormal track conditions, such as midpoints of reverse curves or intersections of tangents and full curves, without restraint by the stiff override springs 22, the connection between the main link and the coupler is actually a normally locked, releasable connection made through a preferably manual override 26.

The preferred manual override 26 is mounted on the shank 27 of the coupler 2 between the head 6 and the horizontal pivot 12. In the subway type coupler of the illustrated embodiment, the manual override most conveniently is on the top or upper horizontal face Z8 of the drawbar 4, which in horizontal angling forms part of the shank 27.

The manual override 26 preferably is mountable as a unit on the coupler 2 and for this purpose has its several parts mounted on a mounting plate 29 which is fixed or secured, as by welding, to the top 28 of the shank 27 forwardly of the horizontal pivot 12 and, in the illustrated embodiment, adjacent the front end of the drawbar 4. The parts include a latch, connector or tie member 30 positioned forwardly of the horizontal pivot 12 and centered laterally on and extending longitudinally of the shank 27. Pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the shank, the latch 30 is connected at one end, here its rear end 31, to the link 20, preferably midway of the latters extremities, in both cases for relative horizontal angling, pivoting or swinging. At its opposite, here front, end 32, the latch is normally engaged and locked against horizontal angling or movement relative to the coupler 2 by a catch or keeper 33.

Centered laterally on and shiftable or slidable longitudinally of the shank 27, the preferred catch 33 is in the form of a slide block slidable on the mounting plate 29 in a guide or slideway 34 between fixed guide blocks 35 and having in its rear or latch-confronting end 36 a laterally centered, rearwardly opening pocket, socket or concave seat 37 for receiving the front end 32 of the latch 30. Lock springs 38, acting longitudinally of the l coupler 2 between the front end 39 of the catch 33 and a rearwardly facing fixed abutment 40 mounted on the mounting plate 29 forwardly of the catch, normally resiliently or releasably hold the catch in locking position with the latchs front end 32 received in the pocket 37.

With the foregoing arrangement, disengagement, unlocking or release of the latch 30 from the catch 33 is simply a matter of shifting the catch forwardly against the yieldable resistance of the lock or release springs 38. For enabling the catch to be so shifted from the adjoining end of the car at either side of the coupler 2, there are provided in the illustrated embodiment a pair of counterpart, bent or bellcrank-like operating levers 41 having at opposite sides of the coupler forwardly extending front arms or handles 42. Laterally instanding rear arms 43 of the levers 41 are each fulcrumed on the corresponding or adjoining guide block 35 and slotted for connection at their inner ends 44 to a connecting pin 45 laterally centered on and fixed to and upstanding from the catch 33.

When locked against movement by the catch 33 relative to the shank 27, the latch 30 is in effect a rigid part of the shank` and a direct connection therebetween and the linkr20. Conversely, when released from the catch by actuation of one of the release levers 41, the latch is free to swing relative to the coupler within limits predetermined to permit the coupler to be swung manually, without substantial restraint by either the hydraulic system 7 or the override springs 22, to whatever position is required for coupling under the particular extreme track conditions. Even on sharp-curved subway trackage, such extreme conditions will require a maximum manual displacement of the coupler of only about 4 on either side of the position set by the truck. The difference, longitudinally of the car in the normal paths of the latch and the link, both during manual positioning and in normal operation, is readily accommodated either by the illustrated pin-and-slot connection 46 therebetween or by longitudinal play in the connection between the cylinders 17 of the slave units 9.

Not only does the manual override 26 permit substantially unrestrained manual positioning of the coupler for coupling under such conditions, but the subsequent swinging of the coupled coupler in service will automatically reengage the catch 33 with the latch 30 and restore the responsiveness of the coupler to automatic centering when next uncoupled. And such automatic resetting of the device 1 for automatic centering is facilitated, if, as in the disclosed embodiment, the front end 32 of the latch is rounded and forwardly tapered and the seat 37 in the catch is correspondingly configured to give it a rearward flare.

` The coupler positioning device disclosed in the present application is identical in the foregoing respects with the disclosure of the parenttapplication but for improved operation makes thereto certain additions now to be described. The first concerns the master cylinder units `8. In the illustrated embodiment there are a pair of units positioned onopposite sides of the longitudinal centerline of the car, each of which is hydraulically cross-connected to the slave unit 9 on the opposite side of the centerline, the cross-connection being necessary to compensate for the illustrated connection of the master units to the trunk to the rear of the latters pivot 11. Single acting, the illustrated pair of master units 8 were originally shown as having hydraulic connections only at their cylinder ends and being mechanically connected at their rod ends to the truck 10. With that arrangement, the rod ends of the cylinders of the units needed to be opened to the atmosphere to prevent cushioning by trapped air of the advance strokes of their pistons and, even though the atmospheric bleeds could be small and screened, the suction exerted on a retract stroke of either piston conceivably could pull fine particles of dust into the cylinders and, by the abrasive action of the particles, shorten the effective life of the unit.

In the present device entry of dust or other foreign matter into the cylinders 15 is positively prevented byv filling both ends of the cylinders with hydraulic liquid and hydraulically connecting the rod ends of the cylinders to each other by a flexible master connecting pipe or tube 47 also filled with the liquid. With suitable liquid seals (not shown) around the piston rods 13 and atmospheric bleeds of course eliminated, the preferred hydraulic filling and connection of the rod ends of the cylinders not only keeps out foreign matter, but, since the combined Volume of those ends remains constant, the liquid in them does not interfere with the automatic centering action of the device and is simply exchanged between them as the pistons move relative to the cylinders in response to angling of the truck.

The filling with hydraulic fluid and hydraulic connection of the rod ends of the illustrated pair of single acting master units 8 also preferably is extended to the illustrated pair of single acting slave units 9, the connection being shown as made by a flexible slave connecting pipe or tube 48. The purpose is in part the same, to prevent entry of foreign matter into the cylinders 17 of the slave units. In balance, though, it is to compensate for the possible effect of the accumulator 25 with which the main connector line 23 between each master unit 8 and the related slave unit 9 preferably is fitted, when the automatic positioning action of the device is overridden by a force initiated at the coupler 2 under the special track conditions which bring one or another of the override springs 22 into play. In such case, the force initiated at the coupler forces the coupler to swing to one side of the position dictated by the positioning device through the latters coupler-connected main link 20. The main link then shifting laterally with the coupler, if the pistons 19 of the slave units 9 remain stationary relative to their cylinders 17, there will be a compression of the override spring 22 and telescoping of the side link 21 at the side toward which the coupler is swung and a corresponding expansion of the spring and extension of the side link at the other side. However, depending on the pressure in the accumulator 25 at the other side and the extent of the swing of the coupler out of dictated position, the hydraulic force on the piston 19 of the slave unit 9 at the other side could exceed the restraining force of the override spring 22 at that side and under such circumstances the accumulator could force additional hydraulic liquid into the cylinder 17 of that slave unit and project the latters piston 19 until the hydraulic and restraining forces on the piston were in balance. The consequent addition of hydraulic liquid to but one side of the positioning device would produce an imbalance in the devices automatic positioning action. This is prevented by the filling of the rod ends of the cylinders with hydraulic liquid and the hydraulic connection of those ends by the pipe 48, so long as the ends and the pipe are filled, and their filling is assured, if, as preferred, the pipe is fitted with a slave accumulator 49 to compensate for any leakage.

The remaining improvement over the positioning device disclosed in the parent application is designed to eliminate another possible trouble on overriding of the automatic positioning action by a force initiated at the coupler. In

the normal operation of the device, the main link 20, side links 21 and override springs 22 together form an in effect rigid connection between the pistons 19 of the slave units 9, but, since swinging in an arc, the tendency of the coupler under a coupler-initiated force is to apply a force causing the main link to cock or cant out of its normal position perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline of the car. Should this tendency be realized, the effect could be to produce binding in the sliding joints in the side link 21 at the side toward which the coupler is swung and between that link and the piston 19 of the adjoining slave unit 9. To inhibit any such binding, the main link 2f) is positively prevented from cocking or canting by guiding it at both ends over its range of lateral movement.

The desired guidance, lwithout interfering with the necessary lateral mobility of the main link 20, preferably is provided by a pair of longitudinally extending, laterally swinging guide links 50 each pivotally mounted at the rear on a mounting bracket 51 fixed to the underframe of the car rearwardly of the slave units 9 for swinging about a vertical axis laterally aligned with the vertical axis of horizontal swing of the coupler 2. Of equal length and parallel, the guide links 50 are pivotally connected to sleeves 52 outstanding from opposite ends of the main link 20 and encircling the override springs 22, each of which sleeves conveniently is integral or rigid with the inner part connected to the main link of one of the side links 21. So guided, the main link becomes the shiftable or movable lateral leg of a parallelogram whose opposite leg is fixed, forcing the main link, throughout its range of movement, to remain perpendicular or normal to the cars longitudinal centerline. Also, since in moving laterally the main link is forced by the guide links 54) to follow the swing or arc of the underlying part of the coupler, the illustrated pin-and-slot connection 46 between the latch 30 and the main link, if desired, can be eliminated and replaced by a straight pivotal connection. The guide links 50 can be connected directly to the main link 20, with the pivotal mountings of the slave units 9 and connections between the main link and side links 21 accommodating the longitudinal displacement of the main link over its range of movement. That displacement, however, is so small as to be readily accommodatable in the illustrated arrangement, in which the guide links are connected to the side links, by the longitudinal play in the mounting of and mechanical connection between the slave units.

From the above detailed description it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved automatic centering device which will automatically position an uncoupled coupler for coupling except under extreme track conditions and then is manually overridable for permitting unrestrained manual positioning 0f the coupler. It should lbe understood that the described and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended to be included that do not depart from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In a railway car having a coupler swingable horizontally about a pivot and a truck angleable horizontally about a pivot spaced rearwardly from the coupler pivot, a coupler positioning device comprising hydraulic means connected between said truck and coupler and operative except under extreme track conditions for automatically centering a head of said coupler when uncoupled on underlying track by horizontally swinging said coupler in response to horizontal anlgling of said truck, said hydraulic means including cylinder unit means mounted on said car against vertical movement relative thereto and acting laterally on said coupler, and means releasably connecting said cylinder unit means coupler for enabling said uncoupled coupler to be released from said hydraulic means for substantially independent posi- 7 tioning for coupling under said extreme conditions, said connecting means including latch means mounted for horizontal pivoting on the coupler forwardly of the coupler pivot, and catch means normally spring-urged into engagement with said latch means.

2. A coupler positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting means is mounted on the coupler.

3. A coupler positioning device according to claim- 1, wherein the connecting means is manually actuable, and the uncoupled coupler on freeing thereby from said hydraulic means is manually positionable.

4. A coupler positioning device according to claim 3, wherein the catch means are mounted on said coupler and shiftable thereon against yieldable resistance into and out of engagement with the latch means respectively for connecting said coupler for response to and freeing said coupler from said hydraulic means.

5. A coupler positioning device according to claim 4, wherein the hydraulic means includes master cylinder unit means mechanically connected to the truck, and slave cylinder unit means hydraulically connected to the master means and mechanically connected to the latch means.

6. A coupler positioning device according to claim 5, wherein the latch means is a latch mounted intermediate its ends for horizontal pivoting on and extending longitudinally of a horizontal face of a shank of the coupler, the mechanical connection between the slave cylinder unit means and the latch means includes means laterally overlapping said face forwardly of the coupler pivot `and connected for relative horizontal angling to an end of said latch, and the catch means is a catch mounted on and slidable longitudinally of said face and having a seat therein normally receiving an opposite end of said latch.

7. A coupler positioning device according to claim 6, wherein the connecting means includes manually actuatable lever means fulcrumed on the shank face and connected to the catch for disengaging the catch from the latch.

8. A coupler positioning device according to claim 7, wherein the latch and catch are so construed and arranged as, following disengagement for manual positioning and subsequent coupling of the coupler, automatically to reengage in the course of service swinging of the coupled coupler for resetting the centering device for automatic centering.

9. A coupler positioning device according to claim 6, wherein the latch pivot and the catch are centered laterally on the shank face and the catch is mounted thereon forwardly of the latch.

10. A coupler positioning device according to claim 9, wherein the shank face is the top of the shank.

11. A coupler positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic means include a pair of single acting master cylinder units connected between the truck and the car on opposite sides of a longitudinal centerline of the car, the cylinder unit means are a pair of single acting slave units mounted on the car on opposite sides of said centerline and mechanically connected to each other and normally to the coupler, said units having at least their cylinder ends filled with hydraulic liquid and a hydraulic connection between the cylinder ends of each master unit and one of the slave units, and said master units have their rod ends lilled with hydraulic liquid and hydraulically connected.

12. A coupler positioning device according to claim 11, wherein rod ends of the slave units are filled with hydraulic liquid and hydraulically connected.

13. A coupler positioning device according to claim 12, wherein the hydraulic connection between each master unit and related slave unit and the hydraulic connection between the rod ends of the slave units are each fitted with pressurized means for replenishing any leakage losses therein.

14. A coupler positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic means includes a pair of master cylinder units, the cylinder unit means are a pair of slave cylinder units, each master unit is hydraulically connected to one of said slave units, said slave units are mounted on the car on opposite sides of and mechanically connected to each other across the coupler, and a link of said mechanical connection extends across the coupler forwardly of a horizontal pivot thereof and is connected thereto for lateral movement therewith, and including guide means independent of said slave units and connected to opposite ends of said link for guiding said link in said lateral movement thereof.

15. A coupler positioning device according to claim 14, wherein the guide means include a pair of guide links on opposite sides of coupler, each pivotally mounted at one end for lateral swinging on the car and pivotally connected at the other end to an adjoining end of the link.

16. A coupler positioning device according to claim 15, wherein the guide links are parallel and equal in length and mounted for pivoting about axes laterally aligned with the axis of horizontal pivoting of the coupler.

17. A coupler positioning device according to claim 16, wherein the mechanical connection between the slave units includes a pair of telescopable side links each connected between a piston of a slave unit and an adjoining end of the first-named link, and the guide links are connected to the first-named link through said side links.

18. A coupler positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the releasable connection includes disengageable latch and catch means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,211,921 1/1917 Cook et al. 213-16 1,231,619 7/1917 Krakau 213-15 3,365,078 l/ 1968 Hathorn et al 213-15 1,585,948 5/1926 Tomlinson 213--21 2,226,485 12/ 1940 Van Dorn 213-61 3,255,891 6/1966 Cope 213-19 DRAYTON E. HOFFMAN, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 213-20 

